Borg said:
I'd love to have a local guide, but I'm not enthusiastic about giving extended trust to somepony who has sacrificed memory and judgement. Still, it probably wouldn't hurt to ask the Grinning One more about this world, and to flirt in the process.

You roll a 13 (required 9). Success!

Not feeling ready to continue on your journey just yet, you try asking the Grinning One if she can tell you more about what you can expect out there.

The Grinning One: "What more is there… to be said…? Hmm… The Moonless Fields… are a wasteland… devoid of magic. No one knows… if there is… and end to them. We believe… they are all… that remains… of this realm.

Among the sands… you will find… the Banished Lands. Fragments of… other realms… such as yours. Cast away… sealed here… as punishment. Some for a time… others for eternity.

Of those… imprisoned here… are many hunters… who won't hesitate… to make you their prey. Nor should you… hesitate… to defend yourselves."

Justice: "I don't suppose there are any guards along the road we can count on to help us against these so-called hunters?"

You can hear the Grinning One's smile widen behind her mask as she responds.

The Grinning One: "There are no guards… no roads… and no reason… for us to help."

Justice: "… Great…"

You admit that she is not wrong; as foreigners here, you have yet to befriend anyone. And with that in mind, you surmise that winning the Grinning One over could have many benefits.

You think to yourself, however, that her mask might get in the way of your charms. After all, you usually rely on a pony's expressions to gauge what works and what doesn't, the eyes ever the window to the soul.

As such, you start by telling her that you'd love to get to know her better, personally, and that having a face-to-face conversation could help you bond together.

The Grinning One: "A curious request… but one granted… at your own risk."

The Grinning One turns away from your party as to only face you. Then, she takes off her mask. As you peer into the deep, black void beneath, you are suddenly stricken by a strong feeling of vertigo. Your ears begin to ring.

Without warning, the firmament above cracks, then shatters loudly, black sky giving way to a white emptiness. Gravity begins to pull everything upward. In an instant, buildings split and break apart, while pieces of landmass are swallowed whole by the vacuum.

Screams of panic and terror echo all around you as ponies are being forcibly pulled into oblivion. From the eye of the storm, you witness the world coming to an end, frozen in fear.

Moonflower: "Trailblazer!"

You hear Moonflower cry out to you for help. But when you try to grab her, your body doesn't respond. You try to fight through it. You try to reach out to her, with every fiber of your being, but your legs just won't move.

Your best friend is right there in front of you. She needs you to save her. Now! Yet you are only able to watch in horror as she outstretches a hoof in your direction, confused, pleading. Why aren't you saving her?

Moonflower: "Trailblazer…?"

A betrayed look fills her teary eyes as she realizes that in the end, you are abandoning her. Your heart sinks. You try to call out to her, to say anything, but your voice is caught in your throat. In silence, you watch her float away, alone, resigned to her fate.

Despair weighs heavily on your back. Moonflower grows distant, her blurry silhouette slowly fading into nothingness.

And then, she is gone.

Moonflower: "Trailblazer‼"

You snap back to reality. You find yourself curled up on the ground, Moonflower standing over you. You shakily wrap your hooves around your beloved bat pony friend, and give her a tight hug. She's safe. You're all safe. It was just an illusion.

Moonflower: "You okay? Your eyes went all green and glowy and it looked kinda scary!"

You wipe away your tears, then nod. Not only to her, but to yourself. As she helps you up, you notice that you are now wearing her bandit cap. You thank her for snapping you out of it, and return her trusty hat.

The Grinning One: "Heh heh…! Don't say I… didn't warn you."

You turn to the Grinning One, who has since put her mask back on. You jokingly retort that she can't fault a pony for trying, but even now, you struggle to feign a smile. At the very least, she seems to think it was funny.

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